April 2010

 

Dear Reader:

The CHNEP has published Harbor Happenings for 13 years. The free quarterly newsletter provides information about the environmental “happenings” in Florida from Venice to Bonita Springs to Winter Haven. In this fifty-first issue, we would like your input to assist us in making improvements as well as guide us in developing and enriching our programs in the future.

Your time and attention are valuable to us, and your contributions, comments and opinions represent the very heart of this organization. Please grant us 10–15 minutes of your time to complete this survey.

We would appreciate your responses to the questions in this survey even if you responded to the CHNEP calendar survey.

Your responses will be valuable whenever you can provide them, but we hope you will be able to complete the survey by May 15. Your responses are anonymous. The data will appear in summary form and will not identify any individual’s responses.

If you have a question or if you would like to discuss anything, please send an email message to mhilgendorf@swfrpc.org or call toll-free 866/835-5785, ext. 240. We would also love to hear of any participation or initiative you have engaged in on behalf of the natural environment.

Thank you,

Maran Hilgendorf, CHNEP Communications Manager

 

You represent the very heart of this organization.

Would you please take a few minutes to let us know your opinions?

Unless it says we'd like you to check all that apply, please only check one response for each question.

 

1. I am very satisfied with Harbor Happenings.

Strongly Agree................................................Strongly Disagree

(1)            (2)            (3)            (4)             (5)

 

2. Do you have any suggestions to improve Harbor Happenings? If so, please describe:

(An additional text box is provided at the end in case any of the text boxes aren't large enough to accommodate your comments.)

 

3. With 10 being the greatest amount of knowledge, please circle how much understanding you had of the topics covered in Harbor Happenings. (Please only check one response for each question.)

Before you began reading the newsletter:

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10)

After reading the newsletter:

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10)

4. How many people read your copy of the newsletter, including yourself?

1–2

3–5

6–10

More than 11

5. How long have you been reading the newsletter?

For the past year

For the past 2–3 years

For the past 4–5 years

For 6 or more years

6. What features of Harbor Happenings are important to you? Please check all features that are important to you.

Events

Volunteer opportunities, including opportunities to be a citizen scientist

Information about grants

Learning about materials provided by CHNEP (children’s book, reports, etc.)

Posters (center two pages)

Special places to go to learn about the environment

Programs, books, workshops and websites that provide opportunities to learn more

Book reviews

Report cards on the status of the health of the environment

Guidance on ways to be friendlier to the environment

Progress reports on the status of

research, restoration, outreach, legislation.

Progress reports addressing stewardship

Progress reports addressing fish and wildlife habitat loss

Progress reports addressing hydrologic alterations (water flow)

Progress reports addressing water quality degradation

Photos and artwork

Other. Please describe:

7. What other subjects do you find to be the most valuable to you?

8. Please check the responses that accurately describe Harbor Happenings for you.

Informative

Outstanding

Fair and accurate

Biased

Too technical

Easy to read

Too simple

Boring

Graphically interesting

Hard to read

Too many photos

Not enough photos

Other. Please describe:

9. Please place a check by the number that most closely resembles your point of view. Because of reading Harbor Happenings. . .

a) I am more aware of the issues addressed by the CHNEP.

Strongly Agree................................................Strongly Disagree

(1)            (2)            (3)            (4)             (5)

b) My knowledge about the issues addressed by the CHNEP has increased.

Strongly Agree................................................Strongly Disagree

(1)            (2)            (3)            (4)             (5)

c) I have learned about behaviors helpful to the natural environment.

Strongly Agree................................................Strongly Disagree

(1)            (2)            (3)            (4)             (5)

d) I have taken some personal action to protect the natural environment.

Strongly Agree................................................Strongly Disagree

(1)            (2)            (3)            (4)             (5)

e) I want to continue supporting the efforts of the CHNEP in protecting our environment.

Strongly Agree................................................Strongly Disagree

(1)            (2)            (3)            (4)             (5)

f) The importance of protecting the natural environment is much clearer to me now.

Strongly Agree................................................Strongly Disagree

(1)            (2)            (3)            (4)             (5)

10. How did you learn about the CHNEP newsletter?

Picked up a copy at an event, a library, a government office, a nature center.

Learned about it from a friend, media, online, other. Please explain:

11. Have you gone to the CHNEP website (www.CHNEP.org) to read more because of an article in Harbor Happenings? yes, no

12.. What is your level of familiarity with the Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program?

Very Familiar....................................................Very Unfamiliar

(1)            (2)            (3)            (4)             (5)

13. What is your level of familiarity with the CHNEP Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP), the program’s 20-year plan to protect the environment?

Very Familiar....................................................Very Unfamiliar

(1)            (2)            (3)            (4)             (5)

14. How confident are you in CHNEP’s knowledge and authority on the environmental status of the natural environment of southwest Florida?

Very Confident................................................Not Confident at all

(1)            (2)            (3)            (4)             (5)

15. Please check the aspects of the Charlotte Harbor National Estuary

Program that are important to you. The CHNEP. . .

Is a partnership.

Is committee-driven.

Addresses issues through research, restoration, outreach, legislation.

Is science-based.

Works by consensus building.

Identifies issues of concern that affect the health of the natural environment (stewardship, water quality and flow, and habitat).

Recognizes that to protect the water, the land that drains into the water must also be protected (watershed of 4,700 square miles in seven counties of southwest Florida).

Works to implement a plan to protect the environment.

Supports others efforts to protect the environment by offering grants and assistance.

Is a source of information.

16. In your own words, how would you define an estuary?

17. In your own words, how would you define a watershed?

18. Please check all that apply. Since 2008, I have:

Attended an event promoted in the newsletter.

Received a grant from the CHNEP.

Participated in Management Conference meetings.

Received posters, videos or publications from the CHNEP.

Watched videos or read publications received from the CHNEP.

Obtained information from the CHNEP website.

Relied on the newsletter for information on issues.

Changed some of my habits or behaviors in order to help improve our environment.

Been an advocate of issues of concern to the CHNEP.

Taken a personal action to protect the natural environment.

Told a friend or family member about the CHNEP and its efforts.

Volunteered for an environmental program or event.

19. Do you consider yourself to be a member of the CHNEP? yes, no, not sure. Please explain:

20. Do you consider yourself to be a partner of the CHNEP? yes, no, not sure. Please explain:

21. Where do you live? Please indicate one of the following:

Year-round Florida resident

Part-time Florida resident

Not a Florida resident

22. What is your ZIP Code in Florida?

If you have another residence, what is the ZIP Code of that residence?

23. Were you born in Florida? yes, no

24. How many years have you lived/vacationed in Florida in total?

25. How much formal education have you attained?

Attended high school

High school graduate

Some college

Associate’s degree

Bachelor’s degree

Some graduate coursework

Master’s degree

Ph.D.

Postdoc

26. Please indicate your racial/ethnic background.

African American

American Indian

Caucasian

Asian

Pacific Islander

Hispanic

Other. Please explain:

27. Do you consider yourself to be a (check all that apply):

Boater

Kayaker/Canoeist

Angler

Environmentalist

Educator

Nature enthusiast

Outdoors person

Birder

Citizen scientist

Ecotourist

Ecotour operator

Please list other ways you enjoy the outdoors:

28. How healthy do you consider the natural environment of southwest Florida?

Very Health....................................................Not Healthy at all

(1)            (2)            (3)            (4)             (5)

29. What else should the CHNEP do to protect the environment? Please describe suggestions you have on issues of concern, audiences to reach, materials to create, etc.:

30. Have you engaged in any actions on behalf of the natural environment of southwest Florida of concern to the CHNEP? If so, please tell us about them:

New question. We would like to know what age groups the CHNEP is reaching through its newsletter. Would you please tell us which age group you are in?

Under 25

26-50

51-75

Older than 76

Is there anything else you'd like to tell us about yourself?

 

Did you run out of space to provide your comments? Please use this space as needed.

 

Thank you for your input.